


last minute christmas

by chasinggstars



Series: twelve days of jeongcheol christmas [9]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Christmas Shopping, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Shopping, Shopping Malls, seungcheol has got jeonghan’s back
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:22:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28506666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chasinggstars/pseuds/chasinggstars
Summary: day 9:seungcheol and jeonghan realise they forgot to buy a present, thus leading to a very frustrating night at the mall.
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan
Series: twelve days of jeongcheol christmas [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2073702
Kudos: 29





	last minute christmas

**Author's Note:**

> how does one wrap a present i still don’t know

Fold, fold, flip, fold, fold, tape, tape, and done. Jeonghan and Seungcheol were wrapping their Christmas presents for their friends when they realised something.

“Nine, ten, and… where’s eleven?”

“Shit.”

There were exactly twenty-four hours until they were due to exchange the gifts. Anything bought off the internet would definitely not arrive on time, which meant they had to go and buy something at a physical store, but… It was Christmas eve, and just the thought of going anywhere near a shopping mall gave Seungcheol the shudders. Still, what choice did they have?

And that was how they ended up at the nearest shopping centre to their flat at eight in the evening on Christmas eve, looking less than fashionable. They had jumped into the car after just throwing on a jacket onto their sweatpants and hoodie for Seungcheol, sweater for Jeonghan, driving precariously close to the speed limit.

The inside of the mall was bustling, to say the least. Perfume store workers trying to attract people with test scents, crying children with frazzled mothers, polished businessmen probably trying to find a last-minute present for their child, and then there was them.

“Whose present did we forget again?” Seungcheol asked as they looked at the map, trying to decide where to start.

“Ah. So that’s what I forgot to check,” Jeonghan admitted, biting his lip.

So, this was a complication.

They had to find something that would suit all eleven of their tastes, but the problem was, their personalities were so different.

What if they bought a present that would best suit someone like Soonyoung or Seokmin, but then it turned out Minghao was the one they missed? Or what if they bought a nice bottle of wine for Minghao or Jisoo, only to find that the recipient was meant to be Hansol?

The couple decided to start on the ground floor and work their way up. The first store they ended up at was Lush, attracted by the various scents and colours. There were many festive scents on display as well, and just as many frantic husbands trying to pick something out for their wives.

“How about this one?” Seungcheol picked up a sparkly bath bomb.

“Imagine Jihoon opening his gift to find _that_. Now try again.” Jeonghan was stern, already digging through some other shelves to find the most generic product they had for sale. But everything that was generic was underwhelming for a gift, and everything that was giftable was either way out of their budget or was too unique.

Already exhausted, they moved on to the next floor.

The second floor was for clothing, which naturally led them to whatever brand they recognised first, which happened to be Nike. All their friends appreciated a good pair of sneakers, right?

Jeonghan never knew there was such a variety of sneakers in the world. He tried to catch everything the polite worker was telling him, but he couldn’t do much but feign understanding and pray that Seungcheol knew what he was doing. Which, thankfully, he did.

Under the worker’s guidance, Seungcheol managed to choose a design both he and Jeonghan agreed on, and were about to go purchase, when the worker asked them a question.

“What size would you like?”

“Uh…”

So that was how they ended up apologetically explaining their situation to the worker and leaving the store after wishing them a Merry Christmas.

The third floor was for food. Not ideal for gift shopping, but perfect for charging up on energy.

Together, they shared a warm, freshly baked pretzel. Jeonghan tore off small bits, alternating between feeding himself and feeding Seungcheol. He leaned against Seungcheol’s shoulder, groaning as he rubbed his face against his hoodie.

“Remind me again why we have so many friends?”

“Because they love us,” Seungcheol replied with a chuckle. “Come on, we should get moving again. The place’s going to close soon.”

He took a whiny Jeonghan who was complaining about his legs hurting by the hand, naturally wrapping an arm around his waist as they moved on to the fourth and final floor. If they didn’t find anything up here, they would just have to go to the grocery store and buy one of those snack bundles that were for sale, because who didn’t like snacks.

The fourth floor was for miscellaneous categories, but just as the stores couldn’t be put into one of the broader categories, the items they sold were also too sophisticated. They were on the verge of giving up when Seungcheol spotted a woodwork store tucked into the corner.

Together, they entered the quaint stall, immediately enthralled by the craftsmanship and detail. They sold everything from wooden toys to kitchenware to decorative pieces, but what caught both of their attention was the intricate music boxes.

The owner explained that because everything in the store was handmade, and the music boxes so complex, what with the sprawling scenes rotating atop them, there were only a limited amount and only one per design, especially now that so many had been sold for Christmas.

Watching in rapt attention, they listened to the sweet tinkling music as princes danced with princesses, children played in the snow, and fairies danced in gardens. Their favourite one however, they both agreed, was one of a merry-go-round, the horses carved in astonishing detail, from their manes to their hooves, and painted in delicate golds and whites and blues. Seungcheol couldn’t imagine any of their friends disliking it.

But just as Jeonghan reached out a hand to lift it off of the shelf and to the counter, another hand gripped the base as well. Frowning, he turned to see who it was.

It was another man, lips pressed into a hard line and scowling at them, insistently trying to snatch the music box from Jeonghan.

“Excuse me sir, I believe I was going to take this one first.” Jeonghan’s voice was cold and his words were clipped.

“Yeah, I don’t think so. You didn’t pay for it yet, therefore it’s not yours. I tell you; I need this.”

“And so do we. If we follow your logic, then it isn’t yours either.”

“Hey, punk, listen up. Do you know who I am? If I were you, I would—”

“Sir, if I were you, I would remove your hands from our belongings,” Seungcheol cut in.

“Did you not hear anything I just said? You didn’t pay for it, so it’s not yours yet.”

“Actually,” Seungcheol waved a receipt around, “I just did.”

Flabbergasted, the man simply opened and closed his mouth several times before storming out of the store, ears burning red.

“Rude,” Jeonghan huffed, and then turned to Seungcheol with a smile. “Finally. Let’s go home now, I’m exhausted. Thank you for your help and have a Merry Christmas, sir,” he added to the storeowner.

The owner saw them off with a smile, and Jeonghan all but collapsed into the passenger seat of the car, dozing off nearly instantly.

Chuckling to himself, Seungcheol placed a blanket from the backseat around his sleeping frame and left a soft kiss on his forehead. The drive home would be short, but who was he to disturb a sleeping Jeonghan.

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on twitter [ @chasinggstars_](https://twitter.com/chasinggstars_) !


End file.
